Jamison Battle Carving Out Role for Young Raptors Team

The undrafted rookie out of Ohio State has earned a marksman role off the bench early in his career.

Oct 18, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Jamison Battle (77) dribbles the ball against Brooklyn Nets point guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

In the 2024 NBA Draft this past June, Jamison Battle did not hear his name called. In fact, the Toronto Raptors made four selections (Ja'Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, Ulrich Chomche) and Battle was not one of them.

The undrafted rookie out of Ohio State signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors allowing him to compete for a roster spot in training camp, but a spot is never guaranteed and it is usually a long shot to make the team. Nonetheless, Battle took advantage of the opportunity and earned a two-way contract after a strong preseason in which he showcased his impressive shooting ability. The 6-foot-7 wing knocked down eight threes in only 50 minutes of preseason action over the course of five games.

Out of the Raptors' five rookies, Battle has arguably been the most impressive of the group. He is averaging 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game on a 41.3% 3-point clip through 14 games. The team has experienced a number of injuries up and down the roster giving Battle a chance to earn minutes early on in the season. In the second game of his career, he scored double-digit points (12) and grabbed six rebounds in only 15 minutes of action. On the flip side, Battle fouled out in that short amount of time highlighting his need to improve his defense.

Last night in a win against the Indiana Pacers, Battle scored nine points on 3-of-5 from three in 11 minutes. He has consistently shown his efficient shooting ability which will be very important for a Raptors team spearheaded by downhill threats in Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett. This past season at Ohio State he was extremely effective shooting the ball on 47% from the field, 43.3% from three (2.6 makes per game), and 92.6% from the free throw line. He also made a whopping 348 threes in his five years of college basketball putting him in the top 100 of most career three-pointers made in NCAA DI history.

Even when a number of players return from injury, the Raptors will have a difficult time removing Battle from the rotation and would be wise to let him continue to develop. His ability to space the floor will be vital for this team going forward and I wouldn't be surprised to see him earn a standard NBA contract if he continues his efficient play.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.